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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23978419">Bad Decisions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kate669/pseuds/Kate669'>Kate669</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Trolls (2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 06:22:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23978419</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kate669/pseuds/Kate669</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A small piece taking place just after Biggie leaves the group on the raft. Poppy is hurt and confused, and Hickory is the only one around to comfort her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hickory/Queen Poppy (Trolls)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Bad Decisions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Based on an art piece I did a few weeks ago. We all make questionable decisions sometimes, and these two are no exception.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"WHAT KIND OF QUEEN BREAKS A PINKIE PROMISE?!!!"<br/>
<br/>
They had all taken a step back at Biggie's final words to Poppy before cruising away from the raft in the direction of home. The young Queen stood there for a full minute in stunned silence, barely able to comprehend what had just transpired. Her mind was still a little foggy from the smooth jazz she had almost fallen prey to not five minutes earlier, and a strange wave of emotions was bubbling inside her heart. Not just sorrow at witnessing Biggie's departure, but confusion over the shared hallucination she had experienced with Branch. Had it not been for the danger they were in, it would have been a perfect scenario: a private beach at sunset, with sushi and fizzy blue drinks. And her best friend. Rough as he was around the edges, Poppy loved when Branch's romantic side appeared, and it seemed like he was enjoying that dream world as much as she was. It was so smooth, so easy...so right.<br/>
<br/>
And now everything was going so wrong.<br/>
<br/>
"Hey, uh...Poppy?" Branch touched her shoulder gently. "You should get some sleep. I'll take the helm for the night. Maybe tomorrow will be better."<br/>
<br/>
She managed a tiny smile at his rehearsed optimism, but it quickly faded as he turned to climb the ladder to the upper deck of the raft, pausing briefly to nod at their four-legged traveling companion.<br/>
<br/>
Hickory, for his part, had observed silently as Biggie puttered away on his pet worm. He sincerely hoped the big guy didn't topple over, precarious as the arrangement looked. Maybe they'd get lucky and make it all the way home without getting eaten by one of the enormous river snakes he knew lurked in the depths below. In the meantime, he had other things to focus on. Like the pretty Pop Queen, who now sat with her feet dangling over the edge of the raft, heaving a sigh of disappointment.<br/>
<br/>
"I wouldn't do that if I was you."<br/>
<br/>
Poppy turned to see Hickory approaching her with a look of warning on his face. "These waters hold many dangers, Miss Poppy," he went on. "Snakes'll jump right out the water and grab an unsuspecting Troll off the edge if he ain't careful."<br/>
<br/>
"Really?" Poppy scooted back uneasily, stopping just short of Hickory's front legs. From her seated position, he towered over her - not quite as tall as Biggie, but still much taller than any regular-sized Troll. "Hickory, can I ask you a question?"<br/>
<br/>
"Well, sure. What's on your mind?"<br/>
<br/>
"Do you think I'm a good Queen?"<br/>
<br/>
Hickory tilted his head, scratching thoughtfully behind one ear as he lowered himself to a sitting position.<br/>
<br/>
"Wha...well, now, Miss Poppy, I don't think I can rightly say. For one thing, I hardly know ya....and for another, it's been my experience that when a lady asks a question like that, there's no correct answer a man can give."<br/>
<br/>
"Oh." Poppy stared at the floor of the raft, unsure how to process his response. "Well, Branch certainly doesn't seem to think so."<br/>
<br/>
"What makes you say that?"<br/>
<br/>
Poppy turned to face Hickory, raising her arms to gesture wildly. "'This is a horrible idea, Poppy!' 'This is gonna blow up in your face, Poppy!' 'No, you can't ride the nice horsey, Poppy; you don't even know who he is!'"<br/>
<br/>
Hickory chuckled at her impression of their grumpy blue friend. With her exaggerated hand motions, she wasn't far off. He liked Branch, but he was pretty sure the feeling wasn't mutual. It was clear that he and Poppy were having trouble connecting in the way they should be.<br/>
<br/>
Folding her arms, Poppy blew a section of hair off her nose. "Well, he's not the Queen. I am!" All of a sudden she rose to her knees, looking directly into Hickory's apple-green eyes.<br/>
<br/>
He could see the hurt in her magenta ones, but only for a moment before she crashed against him, pressing her lips aggressively to his. His tail began swishing madly in protest, but his arms somehow found their way around her waist, drawing in a quick breath before resuming the kiss. It was like tasting pink sugar, slightly tart; finer than any strawberry pie to be had in Lonesome Flats.<br/>
<br/>
<i>This is wrong!</i> he thought to himself. <i>You damn fool; you've got a job to do...</i> Yet he couldn't tear himself away. Reaching behind him with one hand, he grabbed his still-swishing tail and shoved it firmly under his hind legs, curbing its erratic movement.<br/>
<br/>
Poppy's hands found their way inside his brown suede vest, curiously tracing her fingertips over every well-defined muscle they hid. <i>What am I doing?</i> she wondered. <i>Forget it - I need this right now!</i><br/>
<br/>
One pink hand slid down to fiddle with the oversized button of his denim trousers, and suddenly Hickory's eyes flew open. Grabbing her wrist gently but firmly, he pulled back from the kiss to look her directly in the eye once more with a stern shake of his head.<br/>
<br/>
"Miss Poppy...this might be my greatest regret in life, but we can't. This ain't the time nor the place for those kind of shenanigans."<br/>
<br/>
Poppy whined in disappointment, but she nodded slowly. "You're probably right. I need to focus on my mission."<br/>
<br/>
Releasing her wrist, Hickory stroked his hand gently down her raspberry-flushed cheek. "Yeah, you've got your mission to think about...and besides, I don't think Lil' Blue up there would take kindly to my advances."<br/>
<br/>
Poppy giggled at the affectionate nickname, but her smile disappeared as she glanced up toward the steering wheel of the raft. "Oh, Branch," she sighed. "Don't worry, Hickory...I'll talk to him in...in the...moooooorning...."<br/>
<br/>
The last word escaped as a wide yawn, her eyelids drooping as she fell against the Country Troll, too weary to continue the conversation. Her breathing evened as fatigue overtook her, and Hickory shifted his weight just enough to release his tail, draping it over the sleeping Queen like a blanket. Slowly chewing on the end of his wheat stalk, he cast a glance at the upper deck. He would have to have a word with Branch in the morning.</p>
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